4-Hydroxyacetophenone monooxygenase from Pseudomonas fluorescens ACB as an oxidative biocatalyst in the synthesis of optically active sulfoxides

Recombinant 4-hydroxyacetophenone monooxygenase (HAPMO) from Pseudomonas fluorescens ACB has been tested as a catalyst in sulfoxidation reactions on a set of aromatic sulfides. With a few exceptions, excellent enantioselectivities in the synthesis of chiral phenyl and benzyl sulfoxides were achieved. The bacterial Baeyer–Villiger monooxygenase was also shown to accept racemic sulfoxides, a prochiral diketone and an organoboron compound as substrates. This study demonstrates the great biocatalytic potential of this novel oxidative enzyme

Expanding the set of rhodococcal Baeyer–Villiger monooxygenases by high-throughput cloning, expression and substrate screening

To expand the available set of Baeyer–Villiger monooxygenases (BVMOs), we have created expression constructs for producing 22 Type I BVMOs that are present in the genome of Rhodococcus jostii RHA1. Each BVMO has been probed with a large panel of potential substrates. Except for testing their substrate acceptance, also the enantioselectivity of some selected BVMOs was studied. The results provide insight into the biocatalytic potential of this collection of BVMOs and expand the biocatalytic repertoire known for BVMOs. This study also sheds light on the catalytic capacity of this large set of BVMOs that is present in this specific actinomycete. Furthermore, a comparative sequence analysis revealed a new BVMO-typifying sequence motif. This motif represents a useful tool for effective future genome mining efforts.

Investigating the coenzyme specificity of phenylacetone monooxygenase from Thermobifida fusca

Type I Baeyer–Villiger monooxygenases (BVMOs) strongly prefer NADPH over NADH as an electron donor. In order to elucidate the molecular basis for this coenzyme specificity, we have performed a site-directed mutagenesis study on phenylacetone monooxygenase (PAMO) from Thermobifida fusca. Using sequence alignments of type I BVMOs and crystal structures of PAMO and cyclohexanone monooxygenase in complex with NADP+, we identified four residues that could interact with the 2′-phosphate moiety of NADPH in PAMO. The mutagenesis study revealed that the conserved R217 is essential for binding the adenine moiety of the nicotinamide coenzyme while it also contributes to the recognition of the 2′-phosphate moiety of NADPH. The substitution of T218 did not have a strong effect on the coenzyme specificity. The H220N and H220Q mutants exhibited a ~3-fold improvement in the catalytic efficiency with NADH while the catalytic efficiency with NADPH was hardly affected. Mutating K336 did not increase the activity of PAMO with NADH, but it had a significant and beneficial effect on the enantioselectivity of Baeyer–Villiger oxidations and sulfoxidations. In conclusion, our results indicate that the function of NADPH in catalysis cannot be easily replaced by NADH. This finding is in line with the complex catalytic mechanism and the vital role of the coenzyme in BVMOs

Biocatalysed concurrent production of enantioenriched compounds through parallel interconnected kinetic asymmetric transformations

Parallel interconnected kinetic asymmetric transformations were performed in order to obtain enantioenriched derivatives starting from a set of racemic or prochiral compounds. Thus, in a one-pot reaction using two redox biocatalysts (a BVMO and an ADH) and a catalytic amount of cofactor that acts as a mediator, enantioenriched ketones, sulfoxides, and sec-alcohols were concurrently obtained in a strict parallel way, minimising the quantity of reagents employed. By selecting the appropriate biocatalysts, this methodology represents a potential tool for performing stereodivergent transformations

Enzymatic Baeyer-Villiger Oxidation of Benzo-Fused Ketones:Formation of Regiocomplementary Lactones

Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenases (BVMOs) are enzymes that are known to catalyse the Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of ketones in aqueous media using O(2) as oxidant. Herein, we describe the oxidation of a set of diverse benzo-fused ketones by three different BVMOs in both aqueous and non-conventional reaction media. Most of the tested ketones, for example, 1-tetralone and 1- and 2-indanone, were converted by one of the employed biocatalysts. The catalytic efficiency could be improved by performing the oxidation reactions at a relatively high pH and by adding organic cosolvents. One striking observation is that absolute and complementary regioselectivities were obtained when oxidizing a range of 1-indanones using two different BVMOs. The conversion of 1-indanone by 4-hydroxyacetophenone monooxygenase (HAPMO) results in the formation of the expected lactone, 3,4-dihydrocoumarin. In contrast, by using a phenylacetone monooxygenase mutein (M-PAMO), conversion of 1-indanone leads to the formation of only the unexpected lactone, 1-isochromanone. This illustrates that by the appropriate choice of BVMO as biocatalyst, the effective and regioselective conversion of a wide range of benzo-fused ketones is feasible. ((C) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009

International fisheries threaten globally endangered sharks in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean: the case of the Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999 reefer vessel seized within the Galápagos Marine Reserve

Shark fishing, driven by the fin trade, is the primary cause of global shark population declines. Here, we present a case study that exemplifies how industrial fisheries are likely depleting shark populations in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean. In August 2017, the vessel Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999, of Chinese flag, was detained while crossing through the Galápagos Marine Reserve without authorization. This vessel contained 7639 sharks, representing one of the largest seizures recorded to date. Based on a sample of 929 individuals (12%), we found 12 shark species: 9 considered as Vulnerable or higher risk by the IUCN and 8 listed in CITES. Four species showed a higher proportion of immature than mature individuals, whereas size-distribution hints that at least some of the fishing ships associated with the operation may have been using purse-seine gear fishing equipment, which, for some species, goes against international conventions. Our data expose the magnitude of the threat that fishing industries and illegal trade represent to sharks in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean

The Substrate-Bound Crystal Structure of a Baeyer–Villiger Monooxygenase Exhibits a Criegee-like Conformation

The Baeyer\u2013Villiger monooxygenases (BVMOs) are a family of bacterial flavoproteins that catalyze the synthetically useful Baeyer\u2013Villiger oxidation reaction. This involves the conversion of ketones into esters or cyclic ketones into lactones by introducing an oxygen atom adjacent to the carbonyl group. The BVMOs offer exquisite regio- and enantiospecificity while acting on a wide range of substrates. They use only NADPH and oxygen as cosubstrates, and produce only NADP+ and water as byproducts, making them environmentally attractive for industrial purposes. Here, we report the first crystal structure of a BVMO, cyclohexanone monooxygenase (CHMO) from Rhodococcus sp. HI-31 in complex with its substrate, cyclohexanone, as well as NADP+ and FAD, to 2.4 \uc5 resolution. This structure shows a drastic rotation of the NADP+ cofactor in comparison to previously reported NADP+-bound structures, as the nicotinamide moiety is no longer positioned above the flavin ring. Instead, the substrate, cyclohexanone, is found at this location, in an appropriate position for the formation of the Criegee intermediate. The rotation of NADP+ permits the substrate to gain access to the reactive flavin peroxyanion intermediate while preventing it from diffusing out of the active site. The structure thus reveals the conformation of the enzyme during the key catalytic step. CHMO is proposed to undergo a series of conformational changes to gradually move the substrate from the solvent, via binding in a solvent excluded pocket that dictates the enzyme\u2019s chemospecificity, to a location above the flavin\u2013peroxide adduct where catalysis occurs.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye